Adjudication No. 834 (January 1996) [1996] APC 7

ADJUDICATION No. 834 (January 1996)

The Press Council has dismissed complaints brought by Liberal MHR Ken Aldred and research assistant Andrew Campbell against The Sydney Morning Herald and the Melbourne Age over an article by commentator Gerard Henderson.

It believes both should have sought redress by writing to the papers for publication.

In his article Dr Henderson strongly criticised Mr Aldred for "reaching new depths" in the abuse of parliamentary privilege when he accused the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Michael Costello, of being given $640 000 by a diplomat from the small South American nation of Suriname. Melbourne lawyer Mark Leibler and the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad were also mentioned in the allegation.

Later the same day in Parliament Mr Aldred claimed that about 20 senior officers of the DFAT were engaged in paedophile activities within Australia and overseas. He said there were photographs and videos to support his charges.

Wrote Dr Henderson: "The Member for Deakin shied away from naming names. Nor, on the available evidence, has he produced one photograph or video to back his quite outrageous charges."

Dr Henderson went on to comment on Mr Aldred's use of Dr Campbell as "an adviser whose paranoid style is even more highly developed than his own".

In their complaints, Dr Campbell pointed to his high academic qualifications to answer Dr Henderson's charge of "an author of mediocre ability", and Mr Aldred denied misuse of parliamentary privilege, said he had given an investigation team 18 names in the "DFAT paedophile network", and he accused Dr Henderson of "malicious and uniformed comment".

Dr Henderson countered by saying that he regarded Dr Campbell's judgment as erratic and there was no necessary correlation between his academic record and his writing ability and/or judgment. He continued to believe that Mr Aldred had abused parliamentary privilege, and said that the documents which formed the basis of the accusation against Mr Costello were later dismissed as forgeries.

Much else was raised in the charges and counter[Dhatch]charges but, whatever the accuracies or inaccuracies involved, the Press Council believes that the two complainants should have, but didn't, seek redress by asking the papers for an opportunity to reply through an article or the letter columns.

Thus the Press Council dismisses the complaints.

Dr Henderson is a well[Dhatch]known political commentator, and vigorous political debate is part of the democratic process in the press as well as Parliament.